Loops - by Jashar Awan (Hardcover)

About the Book

Through perseverance, a young child learns to tie their shoelaces like a big kid.

Book Synopsis

Three starred reviews!

From Caldecott Honor- and Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor-winning author-illustrator Jashar Awan comes a hilarious and "confidence-boosting" (Publishers Weekly, starred review) picture book about the perseverance and positive self-talk needed to learn to tie your shoelaces!

This big kid is wearing his first pair of big-kid shoes, the kind with laces! Even though they're a little on the roomy side--shoes to grow into, of course--he knows he can take care of them. Except they keep falling off!

Not to worry, he'll just tie them up again, because he knows how to tie those loops! But wait a second, where did that darn shoe go?

Nothing is ever truly easy when you're just starting something new; but, just like with any stage in childhood, whether it's making your first steps, or going down the really big slide, with persistence, doing anything scary or overwhelming quickly becomes a piece of cake! And before you know it, you're a BIG KID!

Review Quotes

A Kids' Indie Next List Pick
A Read With Jenna Jr. Annual Summer Reading List Selection
A Publishers Weekly Best Book of 2026

★ "The magic of this story is its emotional calibration. It respects how monumental even a small setback feels to a child. . . It's a book about perseverance that feels like a conversation rather than a lesson. . . A colorful, high-energy, and deeply empathetic book, perfect for children currently battling their own loops."--School Library Journal, STARRED REVIEW

"Awan authentically captures the cadence and preoccupations of early-childhood speech. The main character's eagerness to grow up and their resilience in the face of failure when they lose their shoe yet again...add wisdom and humor in equal measure."--The Horn Book

"Sweet, relatable, and quietly empowering, this book is an excellent tool for teaching persistence and resilience."--Booklist

★ "Awan has again offered a warm little pocket of the world where a child is loved, respected, protected, and confident."--The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, STARRED REVIEW

★ "Via artwork that evokes the peppy boldness of vintage screen-printed posters and a horizontal format that turns "learning to be a big kid!" into a full stage-show, Awan (Every Monday Mabel) zeroes in on a common milestone on the wobbly path to maturation."--Publishers Weekly, STARRED REVIEW

"Cleverly draws connections between "learning to be a big kid" and never giving up--life lessons worth learning." --Kirkus Reviews

About the Author

Author-illustrator Jashar Awan won a Caldecott Honor for his picture book Every Monday Mabel. Growing up outside of Washington, DC, Jashar loved drawing and reading. In fact, he still does. For many years, he drew illustrations for publications such as The New Yorker, The New York Times, American Medical News, and Columbia Journalism Review. Jashar made his debut as an author-illustrator with What a Lucky Day!. Publishers Weekly spotlighted him as one of the most promising children's debut authors of fall 2020. His book Only Ants for Andy was selected for the 2023 and 2024 Choose to Read Ohio booklist. Jashar is also the creator of Strum & Drum: A Merry Little Quest, I'm Going to Build a Snowman, Every Monday Mabel, and Loops. He lives in Ohio with his wife, Emily, and their son, Maxwell, who loves drawing and reading, too.